


By Your Side

by RipplesOfAqua



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Divine Victoria - Freeform, Established Relationship, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Softened Leliana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 20:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RipplesOfAqua/pseuds/RipplesOfAqua
Summary: “Your Holiness, you should not be here,” Josephine scolds under her breath, snapping open her fan to hide her lips from prying eyes. “You will be recognized!”Written for the 2019 Secret Tomes of Thedas exchange.





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweettasteofbitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweettasteofbitter/gifts).



“Ma cherette, do you not wish to join the dance?”

A careful slipper whispers against the marble, and Josephine feels a sudden presence at her side. The sweet sound of the violin drifts up from the ballroom, and a gentle hand presses against the small of her back as the orchestra begins a waltz. Josephine’s heart somersaults at the familiar warmth, but she keeps her gaze trained on the whirl of dancers below.

She takes a slow breath, steadying her thoughts.

_One…_

Lines form and the dance takes shape. Partners clasp hands, circling slowly round one another as the music swells.

A silken elbow nudges Josephine’s arm and the scent of a familiar perfume washes over her. Her fingers tighten around the balcony railing.

_Two…_

The dancers turn from their partners, gazing back over their shoulders as the lines arc away and separate. The music softens for a moment as they pause at the edge of the dance floor.

A gloved hand brushes feather-like across Josephine’s temple, caressing away an unruly strand of hair. She nearly sighs at the gesture. Has it been so long since she last felt that touch?

_Three…_

The music soars. The dancers rejoin, their movements quickening as a vibrant tremolo builds towards one final crescendo.

Lips ghost against Josephine’s ear, the soft tickle sending a flush burning across her neck. Her eyes flutter closed and she finds herself leaning ever so slightly inward…

_Four…_

“Will you dance with _me_ then, Josie? It has been far too long since I have had you in my arms.”

The music slows and ceases and the dancers bow their graceful farewells. The din of voices rises as the guests clamor to find new partners for the Game. An errant elbow sends a glass flying off a serving tray, and the moment shatters along with it.

Josephine’s eyes fly open and she turns upon the figure beside her. Dressed in a deep blue with little skin left uncovered, she is unremarkable at first glance. But beneath the scarf and mask of a middling merchant family, grey eyes glow brightly in the candlelight and a flash of red hair peeks through.

“Your Holiness, you should not be here,” Josephine scolds under her breath, snapping open her fan to hide her lips from prying eyes. “You will be recognized!”

Leliana leans back and presses her palm to her chest in mock affront. “You wound me, Josie,” she teases, mouth pulling into a dramatic pout. “Have you no faith in my discretion?”

Josephine exhales in exasperation, glancing around the ballroom for overly interested eyes. Tucking Leliana’s arm into the crook of her own, she ushers them into a nearby alcove where they will not be overlooked. Here, the stone is cool and the candlelight dim. For the first time in months they are alone.

Leliana watches her silently, fingers tracing gentle circles just above her elbow, as Josephine weighs the actions they are about to take.

Though Josephine is not particularly religious, her faith in this Divine is unwavering. But that is not what’s at stake tonight.

“It is the _people’s_ faith in your Holiness that’s important,” she reminds slowly, voice catching on the unwieldy title. “It would not do for them to see you like this.”

_If they catch us… I cannot be the one to do this to you, my love._

“They will not mind what they don’t see,” Leliana says lightly, testing her resolve. Her fingers trail up Josephine’s sleeve and play with the lace at her collarbone.

Josephine responds with a disapproving look, though it lacks the fire of true conviction. She is no great follower of the Chant, and she fears not the wrath of the Maker, but rather that of an irate populace. A splintered Chantry will cause them more trouble than disapproval from beyond the Veil. But were Leliana ever to turn upon her with regret… _that_ Josephine knows she could not bear.      

“Josie, I am here on business,” Leliana tries again, her voice now low and serious.

 _That_ is unexpected, if entirely too coincidental. Josephine rolls her eyes. “Business? Here, of all places?”

The Divine only shrugs.

It is absurd, Josephine thinks. Those in such a position, Divine or not, simply do not act in such a manner! With the power of the Chantry at her fingertips, and unofficially the remnants of the Inquisition's spy network, why must Leliana tempt fate so? But then, Divine Victoria is unlike all who came before her, and Josephine would not have it any other way. It has been less than a year since Leliana ascended to the Sunburst Throne, but she has already shaken the Chantry to its core and opened its doors to all.  

Still, many do not share Josephine’s faith in the Divine’s politics. Within months, the first whispers had spread all the way to Josephine’s doorstep in Antiva, bringing warnings of rebellion and violence. Three weeks later came word of the first assassination attempt, with several more in quick succession. While Divine Victoria stood in the Grand Cathedral and declared this hostility as proof of the Maker’s grace, an ocean away Josephine quietly packed her bags and set course for Val Royeaux.

She herself can do little to keep Leliana safe, but she will stay close, in case.

Plucking Leliana’s fingers away from her neckline, she gathers Leliana’s hands into her own. One by one, she removes each silken finger of Leliana’s gloves until finally their fingertips touch. Josephine’s heart aches as she rubs her thumbs over calluses and scars. There are more than she remembers.

Even the Maker cannot keep His Divine out of trouble.

 “Is there truly no one you trust to serve as Left Hand?”

Leliana’s laugh is low and sad, and she brings their hands to her lips to place a slow kiss to Josephine’s knuckles. “I trust _you_ , ma cherette. But the Divine is meant to _save_ souls, not destroy them. And your soul is most precious to me.”

Leaning forward, Leliana bows her head to Josephine’s, the tip of her nose brushing across a freckle on Josephine’s cheek. Warm breath tickles Josephine’s skin, and for a long moment they stand there, breathing in each other’s presence. Then she meets Leliana’s lips with her own, and her uncertainty melts away with their kiss.

There will be danger – there always has been, but Leliana has made her choice coming here tonight, and now so will Josephine.

When they part, Josephine rests her head on Leliana’s shoulder.

“It is dangerous on your own.”

Leliana hums quiet agreement and wraps her arms around Josephine, pulling her closer into her chest.

“Then come with me tonight?”

And so Josephine does, down back alleys and through secluded courtyards, she stays by the Divine's side until the first rays of sun fall upon the Grand Cathedral and Leliana is tucked safely in bed.

Four months later, Divine Victoria declares love to be the Maker's greatest gift and opens marriage to all in the Chantry. Few notice the young head of House Montilyet beaming in the audience, but as she meets the Divine's eyes, they both know they will never again be truly apart.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for a wonderful prompt!
> 
> I had originally intended to answer your question of what Leliana might do with a measuring stick, handkerchief, and some twine, but the story took a different turn than I had expected. I have some ideas though, for the future ;)
> 
> Fun fact: Josephine's middle name "Cherette" is a diminuitive form of "chère" - something which I would imagine Leliana puts to great use!


End file.
